Dog trainer Laura Garber [1]helped TODAYs Natalie Morales train her adopted dog Zara[2], and now she’s offering a virtual training class for you and your canine companion. In this lesson, Garber gives tips on how to use tricks to provide a fitness routine for your dog.
Tricks are way more than just an exercise in cuteness! As we saw in the first installment of this two-part article[3], tricks are also a great way of encouraging a positive mental attitude in a dog that may be struggling with behavior challenges. Further, when done right, tricks can be a great way of providing fitness for your dog (think poochy pilates!) The following sketches out a multi-step workout routine, with a warm-up doga pose, for your pumpin pup!
Indoor activities
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- Which Star Loved Nirvana’s Music Videos? [4]
- Josh Lucas: My Son Is ‘Remarkably Unphotogenic’ [5]
- Snooki Goes Tanning for First Time Since Pregnancy [6]
- Katie Couric: I Want to Get Married Again [7]
- Paris Jackson: I’m More Than Just Michael Jackson’s Daughter [8]
The bow is a natural stretch, one that dogs will often do when they first rise from a nap. This is a great way to start out an exercise session.
– Downward dog (a doga pose): Some dogs will easily go into a bow position (front legs on the floor, standing on back legs) from a stand rather than from a sit when enticed with a treat, or lure. Other dogs go directly to lying down, whether from sit or stand. If such is the case with your dog, then youll have to shape the behavior.
Starting from a stand, take a lure and put it just a few inches below your dogs nose level, so that he has to tuck his neck down a bit to follow it. Say Yes! and give him the treat. When this is repeatable, try moving your hand a few inches lower but still not entirely to the ground. Again your pooch will hopefully tuck his head even lower but remain standing. If he flops down to the floor, then go back to your previous stage and inch down the hand signal more gradually. At each stage where hes tucking his head, maybe even bending the front legs, but remains on his back legs, say Yes! and give a treat. Even jackpot him (give him multiple treats) for each new criterion he achieves. Before you know it, your dog will be bowing pretty as can be!
Story: Do you have questions about dog training? [9]
– Tug: Tugging is probably one of your dogs favorite pastimes already! Fortunately, its a great strength-building exercise as well as a fun bonding activity between dog and human. When he tugs at head level, your dog is working out his rear legs; when he tugs at ground level, hes working out his front legs.
Caution: Its important that you do not jerk the tug toy quickly from side to side or up and down, as this can cause injury.
– Shake: In the first part of this lesson,[10] I explained how to teach your dog to shake. Its also a great strengthening exercise for your pups shoulders. Heres how to get physical benefit from this cute trick: Once your dog has gained fluency, give the hand cue from higher so that he lifts his paw higher. Start with five repetitions each side and gradually increase to 20 repetitions, cueing from both the front and the side. Do this exercise every other day, with the day off in between to allow the muscles to recover.
– Back Up: Backing up is a great workout for your dog’s core and hind-leg muscles. The easiest way to shape the back-up behavior is to hold a treat at the level of your dogs chest with you facing him, and then walk towards him. Let him nibble the treat along the way to keep him interested and playing the game. As he becomes more fluent, you can reduce the physical cueing necessary to effect the behavior.
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- Sammy the salamander has something to tell you [11]
- 21 of the week’s greatest animal photos [12]
- Duck family crosses 4-lane highway in video [13]
- Do you have questions about dog training? Email us! [14]
- Six lazy lions lounge in a line [15]
– Roll over: For the benefit of working your dogs core muscles, do this exercise in both directions. Once he’s in a down position, notice which hip your dog is settled on. Lure his nose around the opposite shoulder and, as he twists his neck, he will roll first flat, then on his back, and then onto the other side. If he has trouble doing the whole movement right away, reinforce approximations. For a greater challenge, do several rollovers in one direction, then back in the other direction, or do the rollover up an incline.
– Sit pretty or Stick em up: In the first part of this lesson,[16] I sketched out how to train the bang cue. Stick em up“ is a very cute antecedent trick and it offers physical benefit.
From a sitting position, lure your dog into a beg position by pulling a treat back and above his nose. As he becomes more fluent with the behavior, start putting the verbal cue in front of the hand signal. Build duration in the time he remains sitting pretty. For increased difficulty, have him give left paw, right paw, or both paws at once. Also lure him to turn his head and upper body by leading his nose with a treat, first one way, then the other. This is a great workout for the core muscles.
Story: The power of the trick: The tricks that treat [17]
– Crawl: The crawl is great for working out a dogs forelimbs, trunk and rear limbs. From a down position, drag a treat along the floor just in front of your dogs paws. Mark and treat for any slight forward movement with a paw. Gradually start to mark for more and more movement forward (as long as your dog never stands up to come forward). When your dog is fluently offering the behavior, put the verbal cue crawl in front of the hand signal. To encourage crawling, you can use props such as a low table or poles across chairs. You can increase the distance of the obstacle course or the number of repetitions as your dog gains endurance.
– Spin: In the first part of this lesson[18], I sketched out how to train your dog to hand-target. Another variation on hand-targeting, spin is a proprioceptive exercise, meaning that it increases your dog’s awareness of his own body, limb placement and balance.
With your dog in front of you, hold your open palm at his nose height. Lead him around in a tight circle, first in one direction then the other. If youd like, you can precede the hand prompt with the verbal cue spin! once the behavior is coming fairly fluently. To increase its benefit, this is an exercise you can do on a variety of surfaces, such as gravel and grass.
Outdoor activities
The great outdoors is a natural arena for exercise and fitness. You dont necessarily need a lot of space, either; just a little sandbox or a staircase will do in a pinch.
Digging: Some dogs are unabashed diggers. The dachshund, for example, was bred to dig in search of rodents. Digging is actually a good source of exercise its a great workout for the forelimbs. So, rather than trying to inhibit the behavior completely, its better to reach a compromise by giving your dog a designated digging area or sandbox in which to exercise this instinctive behavior.
In order to attract the behavior to the designated area, dig a shallow hole and lightly bury a Ziploc bag of treats. When your dog digs to reveal the bag, open it up and produce a treat for him. As he progresses, plant the bag slightly deeper in the dirt. You can use a heavier dirt medium or pack it more tightly for added challenge.
You can also bury stuffed puzzle toys in the soil for his search and recovery. Make sure to supervise so that you can discourage your dogs wandering to other parts of the lawn. For building a canine athlete, do this exercise three or four times a week.
Retrieve: Playing a hearty game of fetch has always been great exercise. You can expand on its efficacy by throwing uphill to work your dogs hind limbs, and retrievals through water are a great full-body endurance workout. For city-dwellers, stairs can be a good substitute for the uphill component.
A word to the wise
Remember that outdoor activity is still an essential component of any exercise regimen, providing your dog with a change of scenery, which is mentally stimulating, as well as helping him burn physical energy. Consider your dogs athletic program with the same caution and care you would your own. As with any exercise regimen, start gradually, and consult your vet about whether there are exercises you should avoid because of your dogs physical limitations.
Building the Canine Athlete,“a DVD by veterinarians M. Christine Zink and Laurie McCauley, is a great resource for building strength and endurance in your canine athlete.[19]
Laura Garber is a dog trainer and behavior specialist. She is the owner of WoofGang Dog Training.[20][21]
2012 NBCNews.com Reprints [22]
References
- ^ Laura Garber (www.mywoofgang.com)
- ^ Natalie Morales train her adopted dog Zara (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ first installment of this two-part article (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Which Star Loved Nirvana’s Music Videos? (feeds.people.com)
- ^ Josh Lucas: My Son Is ‘Remarkably Unphotogenic’ (feeds.people.com)
- ^ Snooki Goes Tanning for First Time Since Pregnancy (feeds.people.com)
- ^ Katie Couric: I Want to Get Married Again (feeds.people.com)
- ^ Paris Jackson: I’m More Than Just Michael Jackson’s Daughter (feeds.people.com)
- ^ Story: Do you have questions about dog training? (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ In the first part of this lesson, (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Sammy the salamander has something to tell you (animaltracks.today.com)
- ^ 21 of the week’s greatest animal photos (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Duck family crosses 4-lane highway in video (www.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Do you have questions about dog training? Email us! (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Six lazy lions lounge in a line (animaltracks.today.com)
- ^ In the first part of this lesson, (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Story: The power of the trick: The tricks that treat (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ In the first part of this lesson (today.msnbc.msn.com)
- ^ Building the Canine Athlete,”a DVD (www.caninesports.com)
- ^ Laura Garber (www.mywoofgang.com)
- ^ WoofGang Dog (www.mywoofgang.com)
- ^ Reprints (today.msnbc.msn.com)
Resources:
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Weightlifting Workout Charts: Tips for Ensuring Variation – ask me
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Workout Tips? I need some tips on how to maximize my workout. I’m 15, stand 6ft 1in, and weigh 172. I’ve got a curlbar, 60 lbs worth of weight in 10 lb ingriments, 2 15 lb dumbells, 1 35 lb dumbell, and a machine that supposedly goes up to 200 lbs to work with. What should I eat, what supplements should I drink (I’m on some whey protein that you pick up at vitamin shoppe), what execises should I do to maximize results and gain muscle and lose some weight. I’m pretty active, especially at running and weightlifting, so I’m not a beginning exerciser. I’d just like to see some better abs, bulkier biceps/triceps, a nicer back and shoulders, and most of all, a good looking chest. I really need to work on my chest and abs. It’s hard for me to get good results in those areas. So if you don’t mind, give a little help. By the way, is it okay to weightlift every week day, or should I switch between running and weightlifting daily? Been wandering about that.
Alternate between running and weightlifting everyday. It’ll help your muscles and give your workout some variety. For your chest and shoulders: benchpress, benchpress, benchpress.
Squats. Hold your arms in front of you and put your hands together. Squat down, back straight and keep your feet shoulder width apart. Start with 2 sets of 20.
Crunches. Do 3 sets of 33 and a different kind of crunch for every set. Start by laying on the floor and propping your legs up on the mattress (cross your ankles). Do a set of 33 crunches that way. Scoot back and hold up your legs in the same position as before. Do a set of 33 that way. Now do bicycle crunches (a set of 33).
Workout Tips? Want to get abs asap, need workout tips
thanks
Best video ever made for abs. Shows every ab workout and it’s quick.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fk_usVg7Fp0&feature=related
Is There An Online Site That Gives Free Workout Tips? I’m looking for a site that gives free workout tips and tips on getting abs. I don’t need a so-called “quick trick” that will supposedly get me a six-pack in 2 days. I just want tips on how to work out and what to eat to get in shape.
If you want to stay in shape, you need to adopt healthy eating habits and make exercise a part of your daily life.
How to start?
Choose exercises you enjoy according to your fitness level. Aerobics exercises move the muscles fairly continuously and strengthen the heart and lungs. Examples of such activities are brisk walking, jogging, aerobic dancing, swimming, badminton, cycling and football.
If you have not exercised for a long time or just started, start slowly and increase gradually over a period of 3 to 6 weeks.
For those who are above 35 years old, overweight, or have medical problems, you need to check with a medical doctor before you embark on an exercise programme.
Frequency or How often?
Exercise for at least 20 minutes, 3 times a week or more
Intensity and duration?
Do exercise until you perspire and breathe deeply without getting breathless. You should be able to talk or whistle while exercising.
Do warm up and stretch for at least 5 minutes before exercise. Also not to forget to cool down and stretch after exercise.
Can I Have Some Good Workout Tips? Hey could I get some good workout tips. I’m medium built but i want to be lean and fit. I also want to tone and shape my legs a lot. Please tell me if you have any good tips!
Yes,visit the following sites for fitness.You may not need a full-fledged diet right now, but you can still incorporate some slim-down strategies into your daily life.
Eat breakfast. Studies show that eating breakfast is associated with keeping weight off once you’ve lost it.
Fill up on low-cal foods. Start every meal with the items on your plate that are lowest in calories. By the time you get to the other foods, you won’t be so hungry, possibly decreasing your total intake.
Begin with soup. Starting lunch or dinner with a broth-based, vegetable-filled soup will curb hunger so you’ll be less tempted to eat higher-calorie foods.
Arrive fashionably late. Without as much time near the buffet table at parties, you’ll eat less.
Divide your lunch. Afternoon snacker? Cut your lunch in half: have part at mealtime and the other half later in the afternoon.
Swap mustard for mayo. A tablespoon of mayonnaise has 100 calories, compared with 10 calories for a tablespoon of yellow mustard.
Duration of Exercise
You may not be exercising long enough. The rule of thumb is cardio for 30 minutes, three times per week. If you really want to reach your goal, try five 45-minute cardio workouts per week. That sounds like a lot of exercise, but remember this is in order to meet your goal, not necessarily maintain it.
What Are Some Good Teen Workout Tips? I live in a small town with no gym. And my don’t have a soccer team. Im trying to workout. Get more muscule and lose weight. I do that every once and awhile but i don’t know if im doing it right. Anyone have any tips what to do?
About the soccer team i meant that there isnt one this year!!
This website has good things to help you lose weight and tone up your body, it helps me lose 2 pounds per week.
http://www.exercisetv.tv/
GOOD LUCK
🙂